Fender Final Fantasy XIV Stratocaster has built-in crystals and in-game features
A Fender Final Fantasy XIV Stratocaster with in-game add ons
3,0 / 5,0 | 
Fender is launching a new Strat with a game tie-in: The Final Fantasy XIV Stratocaster is a limited-edition guitar that will be playable in the game via a new patch, letting FF addicts wield their Strat virtually.
Fender Final Fantasy XIV Stratocaster
Made in Japan, Fender’s Final Fantasy XIV Stratocaster celebrates this long-running computer game, whilst also offering in-game playability. This limited edition was designed in collaboration with the game’s developers, Square Enix. Fender plans to release this model for the Japanese market first, before rolling the model out worldwide shortly afterwards.
Fender Final Fantasy XIV Stratocaster front · Source: Fender
Crystals of Darkness and Light
This Strat has a body finished in all-black that includes translucent sections of blue and purple “crystals” representing the game’s Crystals of Darkness and Light. You also get a 12th-fret meteor symbol inlay and numbered neckplate bearing the Final Fantasy XIV logo, plus a matching case with the same graphic. With a slim Modern C maple neck and a 9.5”-radius rosewood fingerboard loaded with narrow-tall frets, it’s a standard Fender guitar, specification-wise.
Fender Final Fantasy XIV Stratocaster with neck plate · Source: Fender
Limit Break Pickup Mode
The guitar’s pickups consist of three Fender V-Mod Strat single coils, and there is a special mode for a push-pull tone pot that puts the bridge and middle pickups in series for thicker, higher-output tones. This is the “limit break” mode, which apparently emulates a part of the game.
Fender Final Fantasy XIV Stratocaster with blue crystal · Source: Fender
In-Game Features
But the tie-in to Final Fantasy XIV also extends to the game itself, via a new patch update that adds a new skill set called ‘Bard’ where you’re assigned new skills. The guitar shows up as the Aetherolectric guitar in the Gold Saucer playground as a home furnishing. I don’t know what any of that means, as I’m not a fan of the franchise and I don’t know whether that has any inherent value, or just ties it in further for fans of the game.
Pre-orders in Japan are opening from May 25 with shipping slated for autumn 2021. The rest of the world will be able to pre-order in late 2021 for shipping in early 2022.
RRP: USD 3499
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2 responses to “Fender Final Fantasy XIV Stratocaster has built-in crystals and in-game features”
Probably a better investment than NFT’s but that’s arguably a pretty low bar.
This same writer slated the Japanese-made Boxer Strats for being too expensive, yet they cost less than half the price of this and don’t have all the pointless kiddy bling.
Go figure.